It’s KRAMPUS Night! The book, the movie, the event, THE LEGEND!

In the new movie, Krampus, which opened Dec. 4, a family lacking the holiday spirit, accidentally summons a creature out of ancient folklore, Krampus, who wreaks havoc on their holiday.Adam Scott, Toni Collette, and Emjay Anthony star in this black-comedy horror film from director Michael Dougherty.

Who?

According to Wikipedia, “The Feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated in parts of Europe on 6 December.  In Alpine countries, Saint Nicholas has a devilish companion named Krampus^[13] On the preceding evening of December 5th, Krampus Night or Krampusnacht, the wicked hairy devil appears on the streets.

Today?

Sometimes accompanying St Nicholas and sometimes on his own, Krampus visits homes and businesses.^[2] The Saint usually appears in the Eastern Ritevestments of a bishop, and he carries a ceremonial staff. Unlike North American versions of Santa Claus, in these celebrations Saint Nicholas concerns himself only with the good children, while Krampus is responsible for the bad. Nicholas dispenses gifts, while Krampus supplies coal and theruten bundles.^[14]“

What is KRAMPUS? Wikipedia says, 

In German-speaking Alpinefolklore, Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure who punishes children during the Christmasseason who have misbehaved, in contrast with Saint Nicholas, who rewards well-behaved ones with gifts. Regions in Austria feature similar figures and, more widely, Krampus is one of a number of Companions of Saint Nicholas in regions of Europe. The origin of the figure is unclear; some folklorists and anthropologists have postulated a pre-Christian origin for the figure (see Germanic paganism). Traditional parades in which young men dress as Krampus, such as the Krampuslauf (English: Krampus run), occur annually in most Alpine towns.^[1] Krampus is featured on holiday greeting cards called Krampuskarten.

In an article about the the origins of Krampus in Smithsonian Magazine, Jennifer Billock describes Krampus as  having “a mangled, deranged face with bloodshot eyes tops a furry black body. Giant horns curl up from his head, displaying his half-goat, half-demon lineage…The creatures dash through the streets, chasing giggling children and adults alike, poking them with sticks and scaring some with the realization that they were naughty this year… After all, says Jeremy Seghers, organizer of a Krampusnacht festival being held for the first time in Orlando, Florida, why watch out when Santa Claus comes to town? “Because Krampus is coming to get you.”

“The Krampus is the yin to St. Nick’s yang,” Seghers tells Smithsonian.com. “You have the saint, you have the devil. It taps into a subconscious macabre desire that a lot of people have that is the opposite of the saccharine Christmas a lot of us grew up with.”

THE BOOK by Mike Davis

Gather your gingerbread,
sharpen a candy cane,
secure the windows,
bolt the door,
summon all your courage,
and let the artists of Contemporary Krampus
show you what lurks in the shadows
on cold winter nights. Contemporary Krampus gathers more than fifty new images from over 50 diverse artists from around the globe including renowned artists like Angus Oblong (pictured below with his page in Contemporary Krampus).and up and comers like Minjoon Kim. Curated and with cover art by Krampus aficionado Mike Drake, it’s $24.00 and available from Amazon.

Final count is 70:

Warning: this is not the best book to keep by your bedside or read late at night! The images not only captured my imagination but scared the heck out of me! It would however be a great gift for the friend or loved one who goes to Burning Man!

EVENTS

Sat. Dec 12, Krampus arrives at Alpine Village, southern California’s favorite make-believe Germany in Torrance,  mash-up of German shopping center and storybook film set with a grand Bavarian ballroom. Before 8pm, catch a FREE, German-style outdoor Christmas Faire, with mulled wine, sweets, snacks, crafts, and 15 tons of snow carted in for the occasion. (Fair: http://www.alpinevillagecenter.com/events/holidays/)

Welcome battle-hardened veterans of America’s raw and wild Krampus scene: KRAMMPSTEIN (https://www.facebook.com/krammpstein/), a high-concept, hard-rocking hybrid of Germany’s industrial-metal gods Rammstein with everyone’s favorite Alpine demon. Donning horns, masks, and pelts, the band led by Green Jellÿ alum Greg Reynard, tears through an apocalyptic set of Rammstein hits lyrically reworked to obsessively detail the child-beating lifestyle of the Krampus. Dazzling stage-show effects, infernal lighting, and Christmas cookies compliment the spectacle.

Descending from Valhalla by way of Lezstonia, SAPPHIC MUSK (https://www.facebook.com/sapphicmusk/)
arrives at Alpine Village with some seriously Nordic Viking metal. Three time winners of the Lezstonian National Music Award for “Best Sapphic/Pagan Metal Band” category, this ensemble is fronted by the horned, yet somehow feline Valkyrie, Sara Trussellss, who explains: “We derive from Europe eastern from there it is known Rock n Roll, Punk, Metal from far away coming to rock you, United States. The name Sapphic Musk represent the male deer but instead we are mighty sapphic virile females.”

As if this weren’t enough to sate your Krampus-lust, expect to be thoroughly menaced and switch-smacked by costumed members of KRAMPUS LOS ANGELES, entertained by the devil puppetry of ROBIN WALSH, and titillated by the naught-nice indecencies of Lucha VaVoom performer DAISY MEADOWS. German food and drink from the Alpine Steinhaus is also available before and during the show, and table-seating will be available.

THEMED COSTUMES ENCOURAGED! 18+; Doors 8pm, Show 9pm.  Free outdoor Christmas Faire (4-8pm).  Advance sale tickets (recommended): $12. At the door: $15.

Witness and participate in the gathering of hundreds of Krampus demons with presentations of fun and wild musical acts such as The Gnarly Ones, Pick A Piper, and Squid Lid. Other acts included! Let’s all go to the furry horned show in Toronto!